Chicago Sky Shifts Training to UIC Flames Athletic Center Amid Delays at Bedford Park Facility

The Chicago Sky will move team practices to the UIC Flames Athletic Center in downtown Chicago from April 19 through May 30, following more than 15 years spent training at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield. The new arrangement was announced Thursday by the team and comes as construction delays continue at the Sky’s planned dedicated training facility in Bedford Park.

For much of their history, the Sky have trained at Sachs, an arrangement that saw players—both current stars and past legends—share community locker rooms and compete for gym time alongside the public. Despite these less-than-ideal circumstances, the team captured a WNBA championship in 2021.

Across the league, several franchises have recently invested in purpose-built training centers, encouraging top talent to join those organizations. The Sky responded to this trend by unveiling plans for their own performance center in Bedford Park, originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. However, construction setbacks have pushed back the opening, creating uncertainty over interim practice sites.

The agreement with the University of Illinois at Chicago grants the Sky access to dedicated gym space, private locker rooms, and improved scheduling flexibility—improvements over their previous setup in Deerfield and a location much closer to their home court at Wintrust Arena. According to team CEO and president Adam Fox, the move is designed to support players during this transition until the completion of the Bedford Park facility.

Momentum to finish the Sky’s training facility is building, especially given the organization’s commitment to host the WNBA All-Star Game on July 25 with events planned for the new center. While no firm completion date has been confirmed, Bedford Park Mayor Dave Brady indicated there is “a good chance” the facility could be ready for team use by July 1. The team has not provided a response regarding their June practice arrangements.

For now, the Sky’s long tenure at Sachs Recreation Center concludes, with players set to prepare for the season in the heart of Chicago as construction continues at their future home.